posted on March 29, 2001 03:11:52 PM new
I once saw a sign at a place that did not take checks:
We don't take checks, we have enough left over from last year.
Another story about check fraud....
We had a woman in a neighboring county start a checking account with $5.00 and her deceased sister's name and SSN. She bouced a couple thousand dollars in checks before she was finally caught and jailed. She plead guilty of check fraud and was released to await sentencing. Upon this release, the police returned her personal effects, INCLUDING THE BOXES OF CHECKS!!!!!!! Since the name and face were so familar in that county, she traveled to ours a continued boucing checks for a couple more weeks.......
posted on March 29, 2001 08:14:52 PM new
Another thing you have to consider is the general state of the population today. You can expect NOTHING from the police and the only people who fear the courts and the cops are honest citizens. Did you ever decide to go to court because the ticket you got was just WRONG??? Guaranteed you'll be in a room with 20 dirtbags who have 10 crimes each (skipped bail, never paid fines, never reported for trial) that were picked up by accident for something ELSE. You'll lose (guaranteed), they will get add'l penalties and never pay. To these people the world out there is a supermarket sweepstakes.
A friend of mine owns the oldest video store in NJ. One day a guy comes in, grabs a machine and runs out. The cops caught him in the woods with a shopping cart filled w. stolen stuff from us, Kmart, and several other stores. We went to court (no one else would send anybody) and the guy (a junkie) pleads guilty when asked. The judge goes "I'm not accepting that plea"! We went through a TREMENDOUS amount of difficulty for nothing. Municipalities use their police and courts as revenue agents and they do not pursue actions where they can't make a FAST buck. REAL criminals know this and play the odds.
In case anyone has not noticed, checks are rapidly going bye-bye. Many people have direct deposit and pay bills electronically.
posted on March 29, 2001 09:59:00 PM new
perhaps I've just been lucky. I don't get many checks anymore (more paypal and MOs lately, it seems) but, when I did get them, there was either a toll free number for the bank on the check or I was able to locate a toll free number for the bank. Those times I did call, the bank was not only very helpful, but usually whoever I got was very "chatty" when I asked if they thought the funds would still be there by the time the check reached the bank. Most were more than willing to tell me that the buyer had a "good, clear record that way..was trustworthy".
This way I still have the item and don't incur the bank fee, which is usually what worries me most if a check were to have NSF.
But...I have at least two coming now, one buyer 0 FB with "shades", the other 4 good FB. So I shall check the 0 FB with shades buyer.
As stated, so far I have been lucky and, by that, I meant that I have always been able to get a toll free nuumber for the bank and a "chatty, willing to give me life history bank info on the buyer"....hope my luck holds up.
aramatha
~I don't know the formula for success, but the formula for failure is to try to please everybody ~ B.Cosby
posted on March 31, 2001 05:38:22 AM new
I dont accpte personal checks for a few reasons. First off..it takes too long for funds to clear and second, my bank charges a $10 fee if a check bounces. Third...I personally dont want to wait a week for a payment in the mail and another 10-15 days for the check to clear and follow up to make sure it did clear. I want the item paid for out of my house ASAP. I do however accept echecks through Paypal and Billpoint.
posted on April 2, 2001 09:25:33 AM new
These are all some very interesting points, so I will make some comments from my perspective:
1) There are lots of folks that preach using paypal and other online services. Trouble is, they charge the sellers fees these days for using their features. In addition, there IS a lag between the time a payment is made and the time payment comes from them. Finally, from the buyers end of things, they want bank account information for full access. The service imposes a ridiculously low limit (like $200) for those that tie a credit card in, as opposed to a bank account. Buyers lose the protections afforded a credit card user if they succumb to the bank account thing.
2) I also hear the argument "everybody will soon be using Paypal and no checks or cash will ever be used" and I even heard from other sources that make non-paypal-users the bad guys. Somehow, I seriously doubt that checks and currency will go by the wayside. All it takes is one or two incidents where the Paypal database gets hacked by outsiders (or copied on the inside by an employee) and everybody's account get emptied, then we will all scream for the gold standard. Also, there are people who have had negative experiences with Paypal (and will never use them again as a result). Finally, one ought to note that "electronic currency" is NOT a legal form of tender!
Paypal apparently did a good job with their advertising....
3) Money orders are fine, until you win a nickel or dime transaction on ebay that insists on money orders -- ever paid a 10% fee to pay for an $8 transaction?
It is very tempting to send a check in for this type of transaction just to see what happens.
Paying these guys with cash usually presents no problem, but see below!
4) Sending cash also works, at least if you don't send coins (they weigh too much and can get lost in the mail). Also, if you win a transaction for $9.50 and send a $10 bill, odds are 999,999 to 1 against your getting 50 cents back as change. Hence, the seller lands an unexpected profit at your expense in this case, and you pay a money order fee anyway.
However, in my experience, I DID get two sellers that refused cash. Go figure.
5) It is claimed that folks can bounce checks even with high feedback ratings and high check numbers. So, all of a sudden, even with a 650+ feedback rating, 2 years of being on ebay, and an 8-year checking account with check number exceeding 5600, I am now suddenly pigeonholed in with the bad guys. This notion also does not allow for the possibility that errors generated by someone other than the buyer can actually cause a check to get returned.
As a seller, I am happy to take checks (with a 7 calendar day hold), money orders, cashiers checks, and cash. Payments made through a bill-paying service that send me a check or money order are also fine (subject to the 7-day hold if it is a check). I do NOT accept paypal or credit cards. This works for me and I have had no problems.
This is just my .02, so take what you want and leave the rest.
God in front and Death right behind. Now that\\\'s racing!
I avoid checks on large amounts, but that's the only exception. If I felt I couldn't trust the person I was dealing with, I would not be doing business with him.
I love other sellers who do not take checks--it means more business for me.
posted on April 2, 2001 07:47:16 PM new
Hi, you (haoleboy) were wondering why people would want to use money orders over credit cards. Well I'm sure I'm not the only one who reserves their credit card for emergencies only. It's all too easy to rack up charges on little items only to find your bill at the end of the month is much higher than you expected. I'd much prefer the small expense of a money order if the seller doesn't take a check. That way I only bid when I know I have the cash. So what if it takes a few days longer. I have no guarentee that the seller will run out that afternoon to ship even if I did use Paypal. If I want something immediately, then I'll go to the mall and not rely on eBay.
